Distrust over AI was a big theme this year, and a few advertisers that used the technology failed to read the room. Case in point: Coca-Cola’s AI-generated remake of its classic Christmas ad, “Holidays Are Coming.” Like Apple’s “Crush” earlier in the year, critics interpreted Coke’s revamped commercial as a visual metaphor for the destruction of human creativity and connection at the hands of technology. Some said it was just a marketing gimmick. As Coke learned the hard way, it’s hard to reboot a beloved classic–and even harder when relying on an emerging tech that stirs up discomfort and anxiety among the general public. –Brittaney Kiefer
